Spring-motor apparatus.



Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

INVENTOR Aflor'ney cDLurAmA PLANQGRAMI cov, WASHINGTON. A). c4

HENRY LAFAYETTE PITMAN, OF PINEVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPRING-MOTOR APPARATUS.

Application filed December 21. 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. PITMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pineville, in the county of Bell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Motor Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in spring motor apparatus, affording means for storing up energy from other motors and to be transmitted to various driven devices.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists in the novel construction and in the peculiar arrangement, combination and adaptation of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claims. I

The invent-ion is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a spring motor embodying my invention in which the spring is shown in its normal or relaxed condition. Fig. 2 is a like view of the winding end of the spring with stop mechanism for limiting the tension of the spring, parts being shown in position they assume when the spring has been given the -maximum amount of torsion allowed by the stop mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the winding end showing the screw upon which the drum rotates and also the position of the gear which imparts energy to the drum in putting the spring under torsion. Fig. 4: is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the lever and ratchet for positioning the stop mechanism, showing a scale upon the face of the ratchet bar that indicates the degree of torsion. of the spring.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a rodor shaft suitably journaled and positioned in operative relationship to the motor to which it is to be applied. Said shaft 1 is provided with a torsion spring 2 loosely Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11,1913.

Serial No. 667,136.

coiled about said shaft and fixed thereto, at one end, by a set screw 3 which passes through the collar 4 and into the shaft 1. The other end of the spring 2 is fastened to the drum 5 by the screw 6. This drum 5 is of peculiar construction, being internally screw threaded in one of its ends, as shown at 7, to mesh with the threads 8 cut on one end of the shaft, and a suitable smooth bearing 9 in the other end to provide a journal bearing for the shaft 1. The outer periphery of this drum, in the present instance, has gear teeth out in it to mesh with the teeth of the driving gear 10 connected with any suitable source of power, but it is obvious that the drum could be connected with the source of power by means of a belt or by various kinds of frictio-n drive. It will be noted that the drum 5 is of greater width than the width of the driving gear 10 with which it meshes and that the flutes or pinions thereon extend the entire length of the drum, the object being to retain the engagement of the pinion in its travel throughout the length of the drum as the torsion of the spring may be increased or diminished as will hereinafter more clearly appear.

13 represents a movable frame held to the arms 14; by screws 15, the inner ends of said arms 1a being detachably connected with blocks 16, the connecting means between the blocks and arms passing through a longitudinal groove or guideway 29, the locking means in the present case consisting of the set screws 15 passing through the guideway 29 and into the block 16 and retaining the block in such position with reference to the arm 14 so as to permit of the ready movement of the block below the slot. The said arms 14, it will be understood, serve as sup-ports for the movable frame 13 which is designed to slide freely upon the block 16 when acted upon by the spring lever 17 and auxiliary parts 18 and 19 loosely pivoted to said frame 18 by the pivot 20 and to each other by the pivot 21. A shaft 22, having a suitable bearing provided on each end, connects the spring lever 17 with the arm 18, the spring lever being provided at its other end with a suitable operating handle as shown and passes beneath a keeper, the under face of which is provided with notches, the outer face of said keeper being provided with a suitable scale 30 to indicate the point at which the lever should amount of torsion upon the spring, as shown 7 clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Secured to the frame 13 by the screw 28 is a coiled spring 24 having a hook 25 positioned in the path' of and adapted to engage and hold a pin 26 carried by the drum 5. Suitably fixed to the shaft 1 is a wheel 28 from which power may be taken in any suitable manner, such as by gearing, belt or friction drive. The wheel 28 may be fixed to the shaft 1 at any point between the 001- s l spring sleeved thereon with one of its ends The operation of the apparatus is as fol-: lows :Supposing that a single rotation of lar 4 and the end of the shaft.

the drum 5 would require a pressure of one pound and 1t is desired to compress the torsion spring to ten pounds, the spring lever 17 1s moved by means of its operatlng handle to the notch 10,.indicating upon the scale shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The drum would, I

in that event, make ten complete revolutions, the completion of which rotations of the drum would cause the hook 24 to engage with the pin 26 carried by the drum and would prevent further movement of the drum upon its shaft and it will be noted that I the torsion of the spring will equal ten pounds on the shaft at the collar 4, and ten revolutions will be imparted to the wheel It is necessary that the drum 5 be driven at a greater speed, when in operation, than the wheel 28 which is keyed to the shaft, the drum to which the spring is attached being rotatably sleeved upon the opposite end of the shaft. The fact that the drum 5 has a higher degree of torsion than the shaft insures the torsion of the spring 2 being uniformly maintained at the ten pounds, the point at which the spring lever has been set and it will be noted that the rotation of the shaft and the wheel 28 carried thereby will serve at all times during the rotation of the shaft to hold the drum at its outward limit and retain the hook 24 in engagement with the pin 26.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A spring motor apparatus comprising a shaft, a torsion sprin sleeved thereon and having one of its ends secured to the shaft, a drum sleeved upon the shaft and attached to the opposite end of the spring, and means substantially as described for effecting a longitudinal movement of the drum during its rotation to regulate the degree of torsion of the spring.

2. A spring motor apparatus comprising I the combination with a shaft, a torsion spring carried by the shaft and having one of its ends secured thereto, a drum sleeved upon the shaft at the opposite end of the spring, mechanism for automatically rotating the drum and moving the same longitudinally upon the shaft to regulate the torsion of the spring, and stop mechanism carried by the drum to automatically lock the same against rotary movement upon the I shaft.

8. A spring motor apparatus comprising, in combinatlon with a shaft havlng a torsion secured to the shaft, a drum sleeved upon the shaft at the opposite end of the spring and connected therewith a pinion for rotating the drum, stop mechanism for automatically preventing the rotation of the drum upon the shaft, a movable frame carrying said stop mechanism, an operating handle, and pivotal connections between the handle and frame whereby a movement of the frame to any desired point may be effected.

4. A spring motor apparatus comprising, in combination with a shaft, a torsion spring sleeved thereon and having one of its ends secured to the shaft, a drum sleeved upon the shaft at the opposite end of the spring and connected therewith, means for rotating the drum, a movable frame, stop mechanism carried by the frame and adapted to engage the drum, lever-actuated means connected with the frame, and a keeper adapted to lock the operating lever at a predetermined point.

5. A spring motor apparatus comprising the combination with a shaft, a torsion spring sleeved thereon and having one of its ends secured to the shaft, a drum sleeved upon the shaft and connected with the opposite end of the spring, means for rotating the drum, a longitudinally movable carriage or frame, yielding stop mechanism carried by the carriage and adapted to engage the drum, lever-actuating means for regulating the movement of the carriage, locking mechanism connected with the carriage or frame and adapted to move the same, locking means for holding the operating lever in its adjusted position, and a scale for indicating the desired degree of torsion of the spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY LAFAYETTE PITMAN. Witnesses J. C. KN-ucKLEs, J. A. MCKINNEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingtonfl). 0; 

